Postdated April - the catch up!

 The sun and warmth did indeed wait out until we started on the "Vacances de Pâques (thankfully!) Youngest daughter had the best week "ever" in Southern Ireland enjoying the culture of music and Guinness! Although this was shared between 4 of them but when in Ireland you just can't not can you? The host family she and her 2 friends stayed with were lovely and thoroughly looked after them. They met new friends in Ireland and made new bonds as a group - all that you can hope and ask for for your children! Our eldest also had a fantastic time in Sicily again embracing the culture, the music and yes the beer! Probably the cheapest item on the menu! But they were there to entertain and sing with a Sicilian Uni as well but had time to explore also! Again a wonderful experience that will last with her for many years!

We did get our "holioneday" as well which was lovely, we all voted on Royan as we haven't been there for a couple of years, we wanted the coast - the sea air and to spend a little more time exploring.

We ended up going to 3 different beaches along the coast line...and each one very different! I love this one purely for the houses, what an eclectic road this is!

Mixing it up architecturally!

view to the "modern" church in Royan town

 And for the first time since I was 18 went on a Ferris Wheel,

umm it's quite high up!

all the feelings of "no I don't want to" surfaced and the only reason I was scared was because during our "yoof" we used to go to Peter Pan's in Southend-on- Sea with our crowd, and the last time I was up the top of the Big Wheel our dear and truly beloved dare devil friend decided to spin the wheel making the tub go round and not stopping there started to rock it - by this time I was terrified and really not enjoying this experience! So all that time on and still not been up again - until my lovely family gently cajoled me into it!
The first round of going up was actually quite hilarious in as much as it was silent - all you could hear was the squeak, squeak of the rubber wheel and the wind, which at that point did start making it's presence felt (Great!!) but once at the top - fabUlous the view was so amazing sea on the one side going on for miles and endless sea miles and then to the other sand and rolling countryside - such a juxtaposition of life!

my view

a very rare capture of me it has to be said but I thought I should really record this act of  bravery!

looking at the "Front de Mer"

A well deserved treat!

to the Church

After more beachy pics and paddling in the oh so chilly waters we went to the Marennes d'Oleron for a picnic alongside the river - all very lovely indeed...... 

Hubby is the most patient man I know and he really does put up with my sitting in the car saying "oh how I wish we could just pull up and stop so I can take a photo of "this, that and the other thing" this is normally said whilst driving along the N10 or another motorway where all wildlife tends to hang out! On this occasion however he found a little lay-by so that we could finally see the Storks nesting - although we noticed, quite sadly that most of the pylons have had added extras in the way of spikes to stop this nesting process, which is all well and good IF they (the powers that be) put in place new nesting posts - there are a handful out in the marshes and certainly not enough for the amount of Storks that come to nest here every year! I won't get on my soapbox just yet about this as I haven't done my research into why they are stopping this but for the life of me I won't understand it!

Each pylon used to have a nest on it!

Just one of the nesting posts!

Yes....and......?

love these cottages!

Taken from the car whilst moving excuse the quality!

 

We had a lovely day and slept like logs!

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing baby Valentin and his big sister in April also ... these are just a few of our favourites! 

*Thank you Angelique and family!*


To show that the weather in April was also turbulent whilst out and about this wonderful rainbow caught my eye - now this is a view I could get used to on a daily basis!

And then the sun came back out one Sunday so we made the very best of it and went on (at that point) one of our longest bike rides, taking in the local Fôret and the wonder of the Bluebells - what is it about these beautiful, delicate flowers? I don't think we have ever had such a good year for flowers in the wild, the Cowslips have been nothing short of magnificent in the ditches and fields and now the Bluebells and Wood Anemones are shining in the sun (when it's out) like a real life fairy grotto!

Excitement came to pass in Lezay as well this month, with the Tour Auto Optic 2000. "The 22nd edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo once again offers a brand new itinerary between Paris and La Rochelle via Orléans, Vichy, Albi and Limoges dotted with timed stages on closed roads and circuits. There were 250 competing cars. And I captured about 30! We stood for about an hour and half in the not so lovely sunny French weather but in a very nice area :)

I have also come to realise that I am really luck to have patient and understanding friends also - a picnic for me turns into "ooooh....a shot here, a shot there, can you pretend I am not here with my camera please".  You know the sort of person who pretends they are NOT taking a photo of you - but umm yes they are, sorry that's me! But this for me is fun....watching people, children in particular (and I don't mean that in a creepy way) but the innocence that we tend to forget as an adult, the taking in what you have around you - the dandelions and the daisies are there to be picked and made into that wonderful garland....that's the fun in being a child not the parent who thinks "oh dear what's been there before my child!" The tree becomes a hiding place - you can't catch me! The toy dog - well that's made to be taken for a "walk" around the car park isn't it? Brothers, Sisters, Friends - that's what childhood is about and hopefully by taking a few random and candid captures they will remember the fun times they had out - Making Memories - that's what it really is all about! 

Thank you Julie, Karen and Sara!

Well my April fun is coming to an end now....it's only when I look back at the photos I realise what a good month it was. Lots of nice things have happened, lots of projects have been formed and will be taking place over the next couple of months.

I would like to leave you with the sun setting on this month.....

If you would like to see further images taken over April then please do visit my Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PamelaJaynePhotography or my website.

Hopefully I will be able to keep a little more up to date with this blog over the next few months, but I thank you to those that have taken the time to read and look at the month in photos. Thank you also to my lovely family and friends that just add that extra!

March is coming in like a Lamb!

Well I can hardly believe that is now March and saying the usual "Pinch and a Punch first day of the Month" finishing off with "White Rabbits" which is great until you start explaining this phrase in the local restaurant (at this point I think why? oh why did I start this!!) Thankfully my dear girls were there by my side to help translate but I don't think poor Isabelle really got it - although she was all for popping off to the kitchen to start pinching and punching!

The last day of half term today and we did think we might go out for the day - escape the confines of the office but it was too flipping cold! So yes, by the way the -5 did come last week, along with 2 days of snow!! Woke up Monday morning to a semi-white world and again on Tuesday, I didn't have chance to get out with the camera on Monday but took a quick 15 minutes with the Robins (again) on Tuesday.....

I started this post quite obviously on the 1st March and it's now the 7th!
Every time I came back to update something else came along! In the meantime I did finish off the editing of all the photos I took at a lovely Family Photo Session...4 Children, 1 baby and their lovely parents. There have been a few faves so far but I think this one is going to be on my cards this season!

Although Valentin slept through most of the 2 hours there this one is possibly one I will be happy with for a long time. Whilst getting things set up I like to "test" the lighting etc....but for me sometimes this time turns to a moment like this

There are many, many more but I won't share them all :)

We had our first lovely long walk (7.5kms) on the 3rd March, the sun was out and the sky was blue - warm in the sun but chilly in the shade....we enjoyed the time talking and walking, taking in the silence and of course a few photos!

Scooby enjoys his first paddle of the year - clear but chilly!

Source du Chaboussant

Lapwings

Signs of Spring

We popped to Charroux on Tuesday - primarily to leave cards at the Office de Tourisme whilst waiting I did take a few pics of the infamous Abbaye de Charroux for more information on this Benedictine Abbaye it's worth a little read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charroux_Abbey it never fails to amaze me - how something built in the 11th Century still stands proud today! So full of history and quite a few stories! The photos were taken through a fence but I will hopefully go back when they are open!


Finally, I heard the Cranes flying over but could I see them? I was so busy hanging out the washing - oh yes I did and it dried! I realised that the noise I could hear was not coming from the playground from the Primaire but from the sky - another mad dash indoors and.........

Flying High!

Yes they are high but you can clearly see they are the wonderful noisy Cranes - I don't remember them flying over our way before but hopefully they will come back again and again! Not the hundreds that other family and friends have seen either but I am happy to have seen them!

Another Spring day blossomed on the 4th - it's always a lovely time of year (my favourite!) because of the new, fresh shoots flowering the anticipation of what's to come and of course the Bees and Butterflies come out to eat, drink and work hard!

Today though I have had one of those "moments" you know when you see something you want to take a photo of but the camera is not next to you? With a yelp I ran to my youngest daughter's room who had her camera  located in a place I could lay my hands on it and ran back to the kitchen praying the batteries were charged ..... and that my subject was still where I had left in... YES....(taken through the kitchen window) a Kestrel makes a brief stop on the bird house!

and I have a feeling this is what made him fly away

umm that's a large one on my bird house!

Need to check....oooh it's gone!

and this is what you have to deal with if you come back big bird from the sky!!

This photo was taken on the 4th March - I have a feeling by the end of today we will have more in flower! Although I am hoping the reports of snow are wrong - we really need some sun and warmth now!

New Facebook Page alert - my lovely friend has started her own business - her page is new as it was only launched last week but I know it's going to be a very useful page (and I might even start on my own house when it's time for spring cleaning!) but in the meantime I am reading and digesting all her fab ideas/tips! Cut the Clutter can be found here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cut-the-Clutter/463478547039508

Have a great weekend - when it arrives - we are off to our youngest daughters second concert with her music class and am already anticipating her solo of "With or Without You" with nervous excitement...another "proud mum" moment!